I think I am a REAL business now

OK so in most ways I have been a real business for some time now but yesterday I felt I became more proper. Not due to the number of calls from customers. Not due to the number of orders I was sending out. No, just from the amount of paperwork that needed doing. I've read lots of book saying to set aside a day a week for paperwork, but I have never had enough to fill a day. Suddenly I had enough for two days. I have battled with it and I am not all up to date again (which feels great BTW) but I think it is a sign I have made it. Funny isn't it the signs that really tell us we are making progress.

One of my jobs was to get my entries in for Sandown. The deadline is Tuesday so by my standards I am practically early. I am just waiting on the last picture to print now, hence having time to chat to you. I only decided on this entry at the weekend. I knew I aught to enter a longarmed bed quilt in honour of Fran, but nothing had been leaping out at me, and most of my current quilts were off at other shows. I had pretty much given up on the idea and was going to stick with the smaller quilts I have entered. Then at the shop hop I was awarded my gift voucher, and I was telling a lot of people about the new strip club. Yes that is quilt related not the other sort. So I spent a lot of time looking at the patterns for strips. One really appealed to me, Ripple Effect, so much so I had bought a copy when I had been at the Chilford show. By the end of Saturday I was tired and I just wanted something really simple to sew. So several bundles of strips and off home. I have only worked on it in between other jobs as a way to relax but I now have half the blocks finished ready to into the quilt.

I had to take a picture of it in progress for the entry form so I though I might as well share it here too. Of course the blocks won't actually end up in these positions, as there are mirror image blocks to fit in too. The finished top will be king size, this is just the center of the single here. I am a little disappointed at the contrast. I thought the black would be darker, but I should have learned from Robin's experience with Burning Chrome, black and white fabrics don't read as that dark when they are cut up. I also though the batiks looked louder, but they have toned down too. Still I think the pattern is coming through and I am planning to use the quilting to accentuate the contrast, so hopefully that will enhance the pattern.